This just in from Winnipeg Free Press columnist Gary Lawless, his thoughts on the need for a mass cleaning of the house with the Jets, including the possible firing of coach Claude Noel and the trading of veterans like Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. “If a fresh perspective behind the bench is deemed the appropriate measure, it must be coupled with new accountability among the players. The big boys with the Winnipeg Jets don’t push one another. They don’t demand a high enough standard from within. Take your pick. Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien or Blake Wheeler should be on the way out of town at the same time as Noel. So fine, clip Noel. But fire the leadership group, too.”

Now, there’s a huge difference between the complaints of a newspaper columnist and the reality that Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is actually looking to move Ladd, Wheeler or Byfuglien (something my Cult colleague Jonathan Willis investigated here). That said, it’s not unheard of a GM to let it slip off the record that he’s looking to move this player or that. Such leaks help prepare the fanbase for such a move. It was a classic Glen Sather move, as I recall, bash a guy a bit, then ship him out.

Who knows if this is happening in Winnipeg right now, but Ladd and Byfuglien, at least, should be enticing players for Oilers GM Craig MacTavish to consider.

The Jets have 19 wins and 27 losses this year. Ladd and Wheeler are the second line wingers on the Jets, if you go by time on ice.

Wheeler, 27, is an intriguing player. He’s 6-feet, 5-inches, 205-pounds. After this year, he’s got five more years on a deal that pays him $5.6 million, so he’s got to be a Top 6 forward to justify that ticket. It’s a big price, but at the same time Wheeler just made the U.S. Olympic team, so he’s no slouch, whatever Lawless might think.

DuringU.S. Olympic team discussions, Florida GM Dale Tallon compared Wheeler to Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan, and said neither was very strong defensively. If you had Ryan on the team, you could not have Wheeler, said Nashville GM David Poile.

But former Thrashers GM Don Waddell argued Wheeler could help the club, and Calgary hockey boss Brian Burke said Wheeler was playing his way on to the team. The coaches on the team wanted Wheeler over Ryan or Brandon Saad. Wrote ESPN’s Scott Burnside on the deliberations: “Wheeler brings size and, more importantly, speed. If Ryan is out, then Wheeler is seen as a must to fill that offensive void. … The final three forwards were essentially in a dead heat with the coaches’ desire tipping the scales in favor of Oshie and Wheeler, whose speed, goal-scoring ability and perceived ability to move up the lineup nudged him ever so slightly ahead of Saad.”

After this year, Ladd has two more years on a deal that pays him $4.4 million a year. Ladd, 28, is 6-feet, 3-inches, 205 pounds. He’s got 29 points in 46 games this year after putting up 46 points in 48 games last year, a career best point production. Perhaps Lawless is upset that Ladd could not keep up such a pace, as unlikely as that was ever going to be, as Ladd has the highest shooting percentage of his career, 14.9 per cent, in 2012-13.

I should say that while I make a meticulous study of Oilers players, I do no such thing with opposing players, and have a far more vague and imprecise sense of their abilities. Nor do I put a ton of weight in most of the available stats when it comes to rating outside players, though I do think a player’s point total over time is a good representation of his attacking ability, and that his time on ice shows just how much his coach trusts him.

From what I’ve seen of Ladd, he could be exactly what the Oilers need. He strikes me as a fierce competitor with some skill. Too bad he’s 28 and not 24. But he should still have some good years left. Wheeler is more iffy if these concerns about his defence are accurate. He’s also got a big contract for a long time.

Would the Jets be interested in a player like Sam Gagner for Ladd or Wheeler or Byfuglien?

Or Ales Hemsky for Ladd? Bit more of a stretch there given Hemsky’s contract, but his skill has got to be enticing for opposing teams.

It looks like a Gagner deal might make sense, as the Jets have only one smaller skilled player, Bryan Little, in their top six forwards, and are loaded up with bigger guys, including power forward Evander Kane, Ladd, Wheeler and young centre Mark Scheifele. One issue: Little is also a centre, but perhaps the Jets would move Gagner to the wing, where he’s always belonged (the Oilers have now moved Gagner to the wing on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall).

A Gagner/Ladd deal would be along the lines of a Paajarvi/Perron deal, giving up a younger player with possibly more potential for an older player, who adds some grit to Edmonton’s line-up. I’d be more excited by a Gagner/Byfuglien deal, but Ladd would be a welcome addition to the Oilers.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.